09/02/2026
In New Orleans, we do not say goodbye in whispers. We say it in brass, in feathers, in the shuffle of a thousand feet moving down the street together.
On September 25, the Krewe of Dolly will honor Dolly Parton the only way this city knows how... with a memorial second line and a celebration of life in the truest New Orleans fashion. It is a farewell built for a woman who spent her whole life turning heartache into something people could dance to.
The evening begins with a 4 p.m. meetup at Armstrong Park, and the parade rolls at 5. Expect a river of rhinestones and blond bouffants, a sea of Dollies, Kennies, and Wi***es and every kind of fan who ever knew every word to "Jolene." The route carries the second line from Armstrong Park to the New Orleans Jazz Museum, glitter and horns the whole way through.
Then the night keeps going. The celebration continues at the Blue Nile, with performances from local acts tied to the Krewe and to Dolly herself, the kind of music made to be sung loud and a little off-key with the people standing next to you.
For details about Imagination Library read the Dolly Tribute in French Quarter Journal in the comments or visiy kreweofdolly.org. And before the night is through, the Krewe will unveil a butterfly memento, a small thing carrying a big reminder... chase the dream, whatever yours may be. She always told us to.
This is how we love someone in this city. Not by lowering our heads, but by lifting them, dancing them down the street, and letting the music say what the heart cannot.
With a second line in my step wherever the rhythm carries me,
Karlita
Photo: RHR Photography
